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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. file — a document
  4. charge — a price
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — in control
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to tire
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com